Tag Archives: Reading Aloud

Books, Children's services, Programs, Public, School Media Specialist

New study says toy “sleepovers” can help kids’ literacy

Getting young kids involved in activities that involve reading is important to encourage their literacy skills. And when the kids can bring their favorite stuffed animals along, everyone can participate in the fun!

You may remember a few months ago CMLE’s office mascot Orville got to take part in a great Stuffed Animal Sleepover program offered by the St. Cloud Public library.

These events are becoming increasingly popular all across the world, and thanks to a new study, can even promote early literacy skills. This article from School Library Journal explains just how useful these events can be to get young kids interested in reading!
Continue reading New study says toy “sleepovers” can help kids’ literacy →

General, School Media Specialist

Alternatives to Round Robin & Popcorn Reading

 

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Help students become better readers

 

Wondering if Round Robin and Popcorn styles are really the best practice when it comes to working on reading in the classroom? This article from Edutopia takes a look at the traditional Round Robin style of reading out loud and offers some alternative practices.

Round Robin reading is defined in the same article as students reading “orally from a common text, one child after another, while the rest of the class follows along in their copies of the text.” Popcorn style is a type of Round Robin reading, where one student is reading aloud, then says “Popcorn” before choosing another student to continue reading.

Author Todd Finley makes the argument that when it comes to improving literacy and encouraging kids to read, the Round Robin style may not be the best approach. He shares several studies and their findings that Round Robin may have a negative effect on students and their reading progress.

Happily, the article includes 11 better approaches for you to try instead! A few of them include:

  • Choral reading: The teacher and class read passages or paragraphs out loud together, which reduces potential embarassment for struggling readers
  • Teacher read-aloud: The teacher shows how proper pronunciation and inflection are used while reading
  • Buddy reading: Students read out loud to prepare for reading to children in a younger grade

Do you use Round Robin or Popcorn style reading? How about any of the 11 alternatives? What have you found works the best in your library or classroom?

 

General, Public, School Media Specialist

Reading aloud to teens

bustle...Reading aloud is usually associated with young children, although recently, new efforts to read aloud to adults have surfaced too. But, what about teens?

With many story-time programs at schools and public libraries we create an environment where children hear, engage, and appreciate the stories that are being read to them. But can teens also benefit from being read to? A recent article in the School Library Journal (SLJ) says yes!

“Young people often listen at a higher comprehension level than they read,” says Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook.  This fact allows teens to advance their reading skills just by listening. “While some educators may view reading aloud as a step backward pedagogically, or not the most productive use of class time, reading aloud can advance teens’ listening and literacy skills by piquing their interest in new and/or rigorous material.” The SLJ article continues, “It also builds what Trelease calls the “pleasure connection” between the young person and the book and the person reading aloud.”

And isn’t a pleasure in reading what we ultimately want?

Check out the whole SLJ article now for more details on how reading to teens can help them learn.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/kh96ovf, licensed under CC BY 2.0